AC Milan – Internazionale

All the action from the first leg of the Milanese derby semi-final, kicking off at 19.45 UK time.

The Milan side for tonight's game: Dida, Alessandro Costacurta, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Kakha Kaladze, Cristian Brocchi, Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, Rui Costa, Andriy Shevchenko, Filippo Inzaghi

The Inter starting 11: Francesco Toldo, Javier Zanetti, Fabio Cannavaro, Marco Materazzi, Ivan Cordoba, Sergio Conceicao, Luigi Di Biagio, Belozoglu Emre, Francesco Coco, Hernan Crespo

Russian referee Valentin Ivanov gets things started at the San Siro for what, counting all competitions, is the 254th Milan derby meeting but few have been this significant with a place in the Champions League final up for grabs.

Clarence Seedorf wins the first corner of the game for Milan

Rui Costa's corner-kick is easily defended and the games moves back to the centre of the pitch.

Andriy Shevchenko whips a in teasing ball looking for his Milan strike partner Filippo Inzaghi, but Marco Materazzi clears the danger for Inter

Inter captain Javier Zanetti strives foward into the Milan half, the ball comes to Sergio Conceicao who lets a shot fly

Another shot by Conceicao, this time he fails to connect properly and the scuffed attempt trickles to the Milan 'keeper Dida

Inzaghi puts in a fine early ball looking for Shevchenko but Francesco Toldo, the Inter 'keeper, gathers calmly

A wonderful flick from Hernan Crespo lets in Alvaro Recoba, but the Uruguain fails to really stretch the 'keeper - the best chance of the game

Shevchenko dropping deep wins the ball in midfield and Milan build only for Cristian Brocchi to let fly with a wild full volley from distance which ends up well wide

Pressure building from Inter as the take up possesion deep inside the Milan half

Crespo, who has nine Champions League goals so far this season, fails to connect with a long ball to the back post and the Inter attack comes to an end

Corner for Milan, but after collecting the short ball Clarence Seedorf over-hits his cross badly - goal kick

Fears that this game might be a dull match have so far been dispelled with both teams playing good attacking football: end-to-end stuff

A half chance for Milan but Shevchenko and Inzaghi get in eachothers' way and the danger is cleared by Inter's Materazzi

Recoba is being denied the sort of time and space he thrives on. Alessandro Nesta robs him and Milan build.

A speculative shot by Shevchenko brings a one handed save from Toldo - great stuff

Milan captain Paolo Maldini defends expertly, taking control of a long ball from the Inter defence, spreading the play forward

Sergio Conceicao puts in a great cross for Inter and Recoba connects, but his header is fairly tame and Dida gathers

Just as Milan appeared to be taken the dominant role in the game Inter show what a threat they can be

Shevchenko just caught offside - Inter risking letting the Ukrainian use his pace and gallop free - but it works this time

A poor ball by Luigi Di Biagio for Inter gives possession back to Milan who waste no time in getting to the edge of the Inter box, but Materazzi clears

Seedorf puts in another great cross, but the defence are equal to the challenge

Crespo is too short to reach a cross and Kakha Kaladze turns the ball out for an Inter corner

Recoba's kick is poor and Rui Costa dribbles the ball out of defence

Recoba tries to make up for his poor corner moments ago, but he is unable to break through the Milan defence and the team in the famous red and black break free

Zanetti just manages to keep the ball in play on the right wing and forces a corner from Maldini

Recoba fires in the ball but Seedorf heads the ball well clear

Maldini and Milan are playing very positive attack football, plenty of fluid passes and the movement by the forward line of Inzaghi and Shevchenko is causing problems, but so far the Inter offside trap has kept them in check

Inter captain Zanetti seeing plenty of the ball but Milan are constantly pressing and hussling - not the stand-offish match we had expected at all

Kaladze puts in a great cross from the left wing and Inzaghi is unfairly adjudged to have handled the ball as he leapt to take the ball on his chest - a very attractive move

Positive stuff from both teams, but Milan, technically the home side this evening, are in the ascendancy

Seedorf and Kaladzer combine well to create a chance for Inzaghi, who is called offside

End to end stuff again, Inzaghi falls on the edge of the Inter box and the ball is cleared quickly.

Milan's Belozoglu Emre is quikcly on the attack at the other end only for Maldini to end the threat with a quality a tackle

Seedorf passes to Gennaro Gattuso who tries to thread a weighted ball to the forwards, but Shevchenko reads it wrong and the ball ends up in space nowhere near the strikers

From halfway inside the Milan half Seedorf chips in a ball looking for Shevchenko - but its too long

A blistering attack from Milan ends up in a corner - Inter were caught with players attacking and Milan struck on the break

Freekick to Milan after Inzaghi, feet flying, tried to win the ball in a 50-50 challenge on Inter keeper Toldo

Another offside decision goes against Milan - this time Brocchi guilty of not playing the ball to sync with the runs of the two strikers

Nearing half time and perhaps surprisingly no bookings in this fiercely fought derby game

Seedorf wastes a great run by 35-year-old Maldini on the overlap much to the annoyance of the supporters who let the Dutch international know that they are not impressed

Milan build again Seedorf plays a great weighted ball to Brocchi on the right of the Inter penalty area, but his cross is defended well - a bright move by Milan

Wasted chance by Milan as Rui Costa checks back inside of delivering a first time cross

Milan now spreadin the ball around with great style across their back four looking to play a killer ball to the strikers - Milan really bossing the game at present

Rui Costa chips in a ball to Shevchenko and Inzaghi when again he could have played it sooner - another wasted chance

The Russian ref blows for halftime.

A great half full of flair and exciting attacking football - a great advert for Italian football and the Champions League. The game could easily have been a dull defensive masterclass, but not tongiht

A high tempo, end-to-end game, the talent on display really revelling in the speed and passion of the occasion - Seedorf and Maldini particularly playing well. Bring on the second half!

And the city rivals are back underway at the San Siro, with no changes at halftime

Rui Costa frightens Toldo with a rasping shot from 35-yards out, but he hooked it slightly and it ends up wide

A great early sign of intent from Milan that they are going to press Inter this half just as they did in the first

Another shot from distance from Milan, this time from Seedorf, but its wide

Shevchenko wins a corner for Milan as the home side press

Materazzi and Di Biagio combine to clear the danger but in so doing give Milan's Alessandro Nesta an accidental whack in the mouth and he needs treatment

Shevchenko latches onto a ball from Gattuso following a deft reverse pass from Seedorf - great chance but Shevchenko was just unable to get enought on it to beat the 'keeper

Having soaked up everything thrown at them force a corner and gain some respite

The corner is drilled in but Inter fail to capitalise on the attack and the ball is back in the possession of the Milan defence

Gattuso attempts a 40-yard cross-field ball but only manages to find Zanetti - one of the few errant Milan passes this evening

Shevchenko moonlighting on the right wing gets into a tangle with Francesco Coco and the Inter defender gets the ball and a freekick

Great defending by Materazzi who cuts out a dangerous ball

Inzaghi attempts to score with a spectacular volley, pulling away on the back post to latch on to a deep cross from Gattuso, but the effort goes wide

Corner for Inter following a swift move up the pitch. But not for the first the delivery is poor and Milan break at pace

Shevchenko shows a lack of confidence choosing to play a square ball to Inzaghi when he was one-one-one with Toldo 10 yards out - disappointing from the striker who incurs the crowds' wrath

Freekick to Inter after Kaladze is ruled to have fouled in the area as a corner was lofted in

Whisltes from the Milan supporters as Inter finally get more than three passes together to keep the ball

A great atmosphere in the San Siro this evening with the home fans clearly and understandably enjoying the game more than their Inter counterparts

Milan take up the ball again and move forward ominously in numbers

Inzaghi gathers the ball with a great touch and lays it off to Gattuso who lets fly with a great shot only for Toldo to produce a quality save

Substition for Milan Guly replacing Sergio Conceicao

Seedorf recieves the ball from Shevchenko on the edge of the box and has a shot, but it flies high and wide

Rui Costa feeds the ball to Shevchenko on the right who cross a good cross to Seedorf who is unable to make the keeper work - a good move

Inter in possession and take the chance to slow the game down by playing some passes in their own half before trying to take it forward

Milan really need to get a goal to show something for all their endeavour and possession, 0-0 would be a good result for Inter, but not for Milan

Kallon comes on replacing Recoba for Inter who has had a quiet and frustrating evening

Corner to Inter after Di Biagio shot is deflected out

Another change, this time for Milan: Brazilian Sergio Serginho on for the industrious Cristian Brocchi

Di Biagio fells Rui Costa and its a freekick in a dangerous area 30 yards out - still no yellow cards

A trully woeful effort from Shevchenko who instead of shooting from the freekick tried to play a deft ball in behind the wall, but failed miserably

Serginho sees a great left foot shot saved by Toldo. He got the ball from Shevchenko on the edge of the box and let it roll across his body onto his favoured foot before shootly crisply.

Substitution for Milan and Gennaro Gattuso is applauded off the pitch after a great game as his replacement Fernando Redondo joins the fray

Both sides keen to make changes and there is confusion as the players wait to take a corner

The corner is taken and once cleared Rivaldo will replace Shevchenko, who looks a little short of confidence tonight

Seedorf crunches into Coco who lies writhing on the floor - he won the ball fairly but clattered the player

Play stops while Coco recieves treatmetn

Not long left for Milan to grab the goal they deserve

Rivaldo looking bright and dangerous. Playing a great ball to Seedorf who wins a corner

Like so many before the corner is wasted and Inter bring the ball out - but fail to hold on to it

Giovanni Pasquale joins the game being subbed on to replace the injured Coco

Seedorf, who was an injury doubt ahead of the game, is down after taking a knock. He's had a great match tonight and will be keen to stay on and find the winner

Serginho and Redondo link up well on the left - the two players with fresh legs menacing the Inter back line

Inter press forward with Crespo looking dangerous despite being largely anonymous in the second half, can Inter steal an away goal after being on the back foot all night?

Di Biagio lets a piledriver loose from fully 40 yards out, its on target but Dida gathers easily, but a great shot

Crepso manages to loft the ball over Dida, but his efforts just creeps past the post and the open goal - both teams pressing hard in the final moments

End-to-end play again with both sets of players seemingly desperate to grab the all important match-winnign goal

Rivaldo's cross finds Inzaghi but Toldo just reaches to take the ball

The referee blows full-time and the game ends 0-0.

We could have predicted the scoreline but the nature of the game was completely different to what we'd expected: The play was open and attacking, exciting and end-to-end very entertaining stuff

Inter will be the happier of the two having kept a clean sheet in the face of relentless Milan attacks. Althouh disappointed Milan will no doubt fancy their chances of getting an away goal in next week's second leg when these two meet again for a place in the May 28th Champions League final in Manchester against either fellow Italians Juventus or defending European champions Real Madrid.